


Drive My Car

by emersonavery



Category: Cars (Pixar Movies)
Genre: Angst, Different goals, Drama, F/M, Fame, Lightning McQueen x Reader, M/M, Not Human, One Night Stands, Song fic, Song: Drive My Car (The Beatles), and they have sex, as cars, life plans, they're still cars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 04:02:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29553228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emersonavery/pseuds/emersonavery
Summary: Song fic based on Drive My Car by The Beatlesbeep beep'm beep beep yeah
Relationships: Lightning McQueen/Reader
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	Drive My Car

_Asked a girl what she wanted to be  
She said, "baby, can't you see  
I want to be famous, a star on the screen  
But you can do something in between ___

____

You see him first at the pump at Flo’s late one summer night. His red metal is shining in the bright artificial lighting and you can’t resist the urge to go and talk to him. He might be out of your league, but you’ve just gotten a fresh paint job and think there’s no better time than the present. This could be your only chance. You pull into the pump next to him and order a drink. 

“It's on me, don’t worry about it.” Lightning drawled, both to you and to Flo, who is getting you your drink. 

“Ooo fancy that, Lightning McQueen buying me a drink?” you respond, fluttering your eyelashes.

“Haven’t seen you round these parts before, you new to town?”

“Just passing through.”

“Where is home?” he asked, taking a long down of his gasoline. 

“Haven’t got one. Life is a highway, y’know?”

“Better that way. If I could never go back, I’d be happier for it.”

“Back to racing? You don’t miss it?” You like the way this is going. Deep conversations with a famous racer? At worst it's a story to tell the grandcars. 

“Sometimes do. Hate all the cameras. They’re gonna find me here soon.” He stares into his drink some more. “What do you want to do, like with your life?

“I’d trade you. I’ve spent all this time going from place to place trying to find a big break but they’ve all gone flat. I want to be famous, a star on the screen.”

“Trust me, it's not all it's cracked up to be.”

“Neither is obscurity.”

It seems to you that you have what each other wants, but with no way to give it away. You long for what he could give you, but from what he has said so far, he isn’t going to give it to you. Maybe you could settle for something in between. 

_Baby, you can drive my car  
Yes, I'm gonna be a star  
Baby, you can drive my car  
And maybe I'll love you" ___

____

***

_I told a girl that my prospects were good  
And she said, "baby, it's understood  
Working for peanuts is all very fine  
But I can show you a better time ___

____

“Say, how would you feel about coming back to my traffic cone?”

“Your traffic cone?” you ask with a grin, wondering what business you could have with a traffic cone.

“This town, big fans of novelty. The motel is a bunch of cones in a semicircle. Charming, in its own way.” You follow him out of the cafe and through the town. While you are driving, he looks up at the sky and says, “You can see all the stars out here. Whole constellations even. Look- there's the Little Pickup. You don’t get that in Nashville.”

You look up to where he is gazing. The stars are beautiful. 

You follow closely behind him as he approaches the neon sign that reads “Cozy Cone Motel”. You pay attention to the gentle flicker of his tail light, and the way his white wall tires crack at the gravel on the ground. 

“It’s not much, if I thought even for a second I would be able to stay here I would get myself a better place to settle down in,” Lightning says as he closes the garage door. Now you are alone. 

“Why don’t you like it? Racing, fame, all the attention?”

“I like racing, it's just- I don't think I even realized it until I washed up here. There’s so much more to life than that. People care so much about everything I do; even I don’t know who I am anymore.”  
“What's the point though? If there's nobody there to care?”

“That's just it, you can live for yourself without the eyes of strangers watching. Not that you would care, everyone always thinks like you do. I’m just trying to tell you before you get trapped!” He ended his statement near a yell, and his engine revved with his temper. You can tell Lightning has had this conversation before. 

“Maybe you’re right,” you pause, “but the quiet life isn’t doing me any good.”

He takes a deep breath. “If you’re sure it's what you want, my prospects are good. I know people. I could find you people to talk to.” He rolls backwards slightly, all the anger from before replaced with resignation.

“Not without them finding you. I know what I want, but so do you. I wouldn’t make you do that. I’ll keep working for peanuts, it's better if I find my own way up anyway.”

He appreciates your kindness. He pulls closer up to your drivers side until your mirrors are nearly touching. You can feel the gentle purrs of your engines blending together, filling the small circular room. 

“You can’t give me my life, but you can give me tonight,” you whisper.

He finally closes the last distance between you. “Is this okay?”

You nod your head and drive up closer. 

_Baby, you can drive my car  
Yes, I'm gonna be a star  
Baby, you can drive my car  
And maybe I'll love you" ___

____

***

Shining metal collides tenderly under the harsh motel lighting, and your eyes fall closed as you let the haze of bumpers against bumpers take you. 

_Beep beep'm beep beep yeah ___

_Baby, you can drive my car  
Yes, I'm gonna be a star  
Baby, you can drive my car  
And maybe I'll love you ___

____

______ _ _

***

_I told a girl I can start right away  
And she said, "listen, babe, I got something to say  
I got no car and it's breaking my heart  
But I've found a driver and that's a start ___

____

You are awoken at the break of dawn by the sound of a loud, patriotic trumpet being overpowered by Jimi Hendrix’s guitar.

Lightning groaned. “God, sorry, neighbors.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Will you stay? Just for the day?”

“Sorry. I don’t stay in one place any longer than I need to.”

He sighs, then says “Let me at least buy you some gas and drive you to the edge of town.”

You follow him out of the traffic cone and down the main street of Radiator Springs. You go back to Flo’s and pull into the same two spots as the night before. He buys you a fill up and you make small talk. 

After a few minutes of meaningless conversation, Lightning pauses and says “Are you sure? I really can put you through to the right people. It's just-”

You cut him off. “Listen, I won’t take your time here away. It's breaking my heart, but I will find my own way. Thank you for last night, I won’t forget this. Really.” You drive closer and give him a gentle nudge with your tire. “I had better be moving on. Come drive me out of town.”

You lead the way this time, pulling out of Flo’s and back towards the highway. You can see a grateful look in his eyes as he follows close behind. 

“I hope you make it. I mean it, good luck.” He slows down as you pass the last building out of town.

You give him a quick kiss on the bumper, then say “Goodbye hot rod.” and continue down the dusty road. 

_Baby, you can drive my car  
Yes, I'm gonna be a star  
Baby, you can drive my car  
And maybe I'll love you" ___

____

***

You take one last look at Radiator Springs and smile as you see Lightning McQueen driving back into town. Then you face your eyes back to the road and speed off into the desert. 

_Beep beep'm beep beep yeah  
Beep beep'm beep beep yeah  
Beep beep'm beep beep yeah  
Beep beep'm beep beep yeah ___


End file.
